A printed circuit board manufacturer's compliance with pretreatment requirements: case study

Abstract

Cirtek Incorporated of Owings Mills, Maryland, is a printed circuit board manufacturer that discharges approximately 100,000 gallons per day of process wastewater to the Baltimore County Sewage System. The principal objectives of the study were to assess Cirtek's compliance with applicable pretreatment standards and requirements and to evaluate the Company's approach for achieving compliance with the pretreatment requirements. Detailed inspections of the facility and review of over five years of records, including results of over 100 sampling events were used to determine Cirtek's compliance. Numerous technologies were considered by Cirtek; the chosen alternative (ion exchange and electrolytic recovery) and its application to Cirtek and the printed circuit board industry at large are discussed. The full range of compliance options are also presented. Considering Cirtek's longstanding noncompliance and other factors, it is believed that the chosen technology was the ideal choice. However, failure to consider appropriate in-plant controls and basic engineering considerations during treatment plant design, led to prolonged noncompliance and continued enforcement liability.